PROGRAM OFFERINGS

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum provides a variety of school and teacher programs that address national and state curriculum standards in language arts, math, music, science, social studies, and visual art. Interactive programs, workshops, lesson guides, online resources, and guided and self guided tours are offered to students and teachers, grades K-12 as well as Tennessee college students.

Words & Music, the museum's cornerstone school program, gives students an opportunity to write song lyrics collaboratively with local professional songwriters. Book a field trip today!

2018-2019 TEACHER PROGRAM GUIDE

EXPERIENCE, EXPLORE, TEACH AND PLAN

GUIDED HIGHLIGHTS TOUR

During an interactive tour of the exhibits, students learn about the history of country music. Integrating the museum's architectural details, music, films, visual art, and historic artifacts, the exhibits provide students with a multi-layered learning experience. During the tour, students have opportunities to listen to recordings and learn how different people, styles, and influences have affected the music. Students also learn about the growth and development of Nashville as a music industry center. All programs include a Guided Highlights Tour except Making Waves at Studio B.

WORDS & MUSIC

Using an award-winning lesson guide, teachers lead students through the lyric-writing process. Completed lessons are followed by a program with a songwriter who adds melodies to students' original lyrics. This experience requires significant class time. Lyrics are due at least two weeks before program date. This program is offered at the museum or at your school. New grade specific, Common Core-aligned lesson guides now available. For more information about Words and Music, click here.

RIDERS IN THE SKY

Upcoming Date: February 15, 2019

Round up your students for cowboy culture at its finest and funniest. America’s favorite saddle pals preserve Western musical heritage, from campfire stories and slapstick humor to flashy fringe shirts and tight harmony signing. Of the many appearances, awards, and accolades earned in their forty year career, Riders in the Sky are revered for creating music for Toy Story 2, which earned the group their first Grammy Award. Come learn and laugh along with guitarist and yodeler Ranger Doug, bassist Too Slim, fiddler and rope trickster Woody Paul, and accordionist Joey “the CowPolka king.”

Bill of Rights: The Remix

Upcoming dates: March 1, 2019 | Grades: 6-8

February 21, 2019 | Grades 9-12

Celebrate our most fundamental freedoms through some of America’s most powerful songs. Bill of Rights: The Remix! tells the entertaining, engaging, and inspiring story of our nation through rock, pop, hip-hop, and country music. Experience a high-energy, multimedia show that illustrates constitutional issues, including freedom of speech and the rights to assemble and to petition the government. James Madison meets Beyoncé with a twist of Loretta Lynn – only in Music City. Combine this program with a museum tour to learn how Nashville and country music takes on a new and deeper meaning in relation to United States history and law.

Formerly named Music Matters and Freedom Sings. Presented in partnership with Middle Tennessee State University.

DAZZLING DESIGNS

In this program, students focus on stage costumes, accessories, and instrument design from the museum's collection. By looking at design details, students learn about different eras in American and country music history, as well as personal expression and symbolism. Following an interactive museum tour, students have a chance to create their own designs.

IS IT A FIDDLE OR A VIOLIN?

In Texas it's a fiddle. In Boston it's a violin. In Nashville it depends. This one-of-a-kind, toe-tapping partnership joins the resources of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with those of the Nashville Symphony. From tours to musical performances-classical to country music-Is It a Fiddle or a Violin? will challenge you to think about music in new ways.

SONGWRITING 101

Learn songwriting fundamentals, including the basics of song form, rhyme scheme, and meter, and secrets behind the creative process. Working as a class with guidance from a professional songwriter, students will analyze a song then write original lyrics and advise on musical components. The program ends with a group performance of the new composition.

MAKING WAVES AT STUDIO B

Conducted at Historic RCA Studio B, located on Music Row, this program teaches about Studio B’s historical significance, acoustical studio design, and the three basic phases of recording: tracking, mixing, and mastering. Students explore the various roles involved in these processes and learn about the science of sound as they participate in the mixing of a recording.

STUDENT PERFORMANCES AND TOUR

Make your mark on Music City by showcasing your school's student band, orchestra, or chorus in the Mike Curb Conservatory. Entertain museum visitors in an unforgettable experience. Tour the museum before or after the performance.

STRING CITY: NASHVILLE'S TRADITION OF MUSIC AND PUPPETRY

Upcoming dates: November 26-30, 2018

10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. start times

Learn about Nashville’s emergence as Music City! String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetryis a lively telling of our city’s musical legacy. Start with the early days of stringband music and gospel music, and the birth of the Grand Ole Opry. Meet the icons of country music as the show travels through time with classic recordings that lead to present day hits. A unique way to introduce students to their city, String City brings history, visual arts, and music together on a single stage. Over thirty country music artists appear in puppet form, and every one of them had a hand in helping Nashville become Music City. Let your students discover Nashville’s cultural heritage in a fun, new way!

Limited capacity. Free for MNPS. Bus subsidy for Title I MNPS. Tour the Museum before or after the performance for a complete field trip experience!

String City was created and is presented by Nashville Public Library's Wishing Chair Productions in collaboration with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and was made possible by a special gift from Judy and Steve Turner to the Nashville Public Library Foundation.

ALL ACCESS

Programs and ticketing information announced as scheduled.

Hear stories and gain insight directly from recording artists and other professionals in the music business. An in-person interview in the CMA Theater, All Access explores Nashville’s creative community, history, and culture in depth, and enables students to engage with performing artists through live question-and-answer. This powerful program extends the story told in the museum’s exhibitions and brings the gallery experience to life. All Access leaves a lasting memory that inspires students for years to come. Previous All Access programs have featured Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Programs are announced as scheduled.

Program Length: 75 minutesGrades: 6-12Group Size: No minimum. Please call for availability Curricular Connections:Music, performing arts, social studies, college and career readiness